Should you Eat Before or After Your Workout?

So, there are a few things here:

1. Should you eat carbs around workout for maximal glycogen replenishment
2. Eating carbs immediately post-workout to spike insulin
3. Eating carbs pre-workout to increase performance
4. Protein pre-workout to stimulate the repair process

Should you eat carbs around workout for maximal glycogen replenishment

Generally, you don’t need glycogen replenishment in 90% of cases of bodybuilders (other athletes or people this varies), in an average workout of 9-12 sets per body part, you’ll lose roughly 40% of your glycogen stores for that muscle – you then won’t be hitting this body part for 2-7 days on average, depending on your split.

Eating carbs immediately post-workout to spike insulin

Insulin gets spiked by protein as well. More importantly, if you look at the studies comparing post-workout protein versus protein later in the day, only a minority show an actual significance in having protein immediately after. So, as a safe recommendation for both answers 1 and 2:

If cutting, 1-2 hours pre-workout have a meal containing carbs and protein, as well as 1-2 hours post-workout to maximize any potential benefit that might be gained from peri-workout.

When gaining, there is a much bigger buffer, and it doesn’t quite matter as much. Just make sure you’re getting in your total food amount each day.

Eating carbs pre-workout to increase performance

There are no real negatives in eating carbs peri-workout to increase performance, so as a safe recommendation ^^ the above also works to help maximize any potential benefits. As far as actual performance increases, it varies by person. So listen to your body, if you feel you perform better with or without food- Do that.

Protein pre-workout to stimulate the repair process

Protein takes several hours to completely digest and absorb, so, if you’re eating 3-5 meals per day, you’ll have protein in your body constantly (so the repair process should be running constantly)

Disclaimer: When it comes to nutrition there is NO one size fits all these are simply suggestions that may or may not work for your individual body type – these types of things take trial and error by listening to your body and how YOU react.

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Contact me at: ChristianDavis20@gmail.com

Christian Davis | Divine Fitness

Founder & Head Coach